The invention relates to ram air turbine systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a ram air turbine system that provides electrical power and cooling for an aircraft pod.
Ram air turbine systems provide electrical power and cooling to electronic equipment inside self-contained pods of military aircraft. A ram air turbine system typically includes a propeller that is mounted external to the aircraft pod. When placed in the airstream, the propeller drives an electrical generator, which generates electrical power for the electronic equipment. Cooling is provided by allowing ram air to enter the pod and directly exposing the electronic equipment to the ram air.
This type of externally bladed ram air turbine system has several disadvantages including increased aerodynamic drag and secondly, with the turbine located at the leading edge of the pod, results in reduced forward looking jamming equipment performance and a decreased field of view.
As the electronic equipment becomes more advanced, it will become more power-hungry and less tolerant to heat. Unless the present ram air turbine systems are increased in size and weight, they will not be capable of providing sufficient electrical power and cooling to the advanced electronic equipment. However, increasing the size, weight, drag and valuable frontal pod location of the ram air turbine system is a luxury that cannot be afforded.
Referring to FIG. 1, an aircraft 100 may include a pod 110. The pod 110 may include a ram air turbine 120 adapted to supply power to the pod 110. In some embodiments, the pod 110 may be used for as a jamming module designed to disrupt accurate radar reflections and prevent detection. The ram air turbine 120 may turn regardless of whether the pod 110 is operating since the turbine itself is disposed external to the pod 110. Furthermore, the speed of the turbine may be variable, depending on flight speed.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved ram air turbine design that may further be utilized in an aircraft pod.